<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The night had been rewritten by chancellorxofxtrash</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25719367">The night had been rewritten</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chancellorxofxtrash/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash'>chancellorxofxtrash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaos Zexal Trilogy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), High School, M/M, Multi, Night Terrors, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Teenagers, Unresolved Romantic Tension, and some Innuendo because Vector is a problem, it is lowkey building into an ot3 but because none of them is an easy person it ain't goin smoothly, someone gets kissed though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:47:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25719367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chancellorxofxtrash/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shark has nightmares, thinks about the dangers and developments that happened recently, is not jealous (maybe a bit jealous), Vector is a Problem, and Yuma... well. Yuma is just Yuma, as always.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kamishiro Ryouga/Tsukumo Yuuma, Kamishiro Ryouga/Tsukumo Yuuma/Vector, implied Kamishiro Ryouga/Vector, implied Vector/Tsukumo Yuuma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaos Zexal Trilogy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The night had been rewritten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/divingbell/gifts">divingbell</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Rils had said "a unit can have three overlays" so this is dedicated to him, the biggest Bekunasch shill in my life, have fun</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shark had more dreams since everything ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before everything went down, he barely remembered his dreams - and they were mostly vague, distant, nonsensical dreams that everyone had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since he remembered, though… his dreams became more frequent, and more vivid. He wasn’t alone with this - when he mentioned this to Rio, she said she was the same - her dreams were always more vivid, but ever since their memories returned, they had been more and more realistic. Shark talked with Durbe once - and he said that it was probably because they had so many memories to remember, their brain was catching up like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made sense, Shark figured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or well, it made as much sense as anything did in his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still had his usual, vague, nonsensical dreams anyone had, obviously. And he also dreamt with things that were a long time ago - his life in the palace, Merag’s laughter, Durbe’s smile, and---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The screams and cries and the smell of blood, ash and death and the sound of maniacal laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would also dream of the Barian world - desolate and harsh, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>home. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The people who looked at him for guidance, the other emperors, all of them trying to make the best out of their situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of them, even--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And sometimes, sometimes he had vivid dreams of things that did not happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dreamt of Yuma’s last attack going through, and he dreamt of him activating his spell card - he dreamt of Yuma’s Life Points dropping to zero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dreamt of running over, not being able to stop his legs, while Kotori’s scream resonated in his brain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Yuma was smiling, and even Astral had a small smile on his face in his dream, despite being completely see-through by that point, obviously barely hanging on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Astral,” Yuma would say, a smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you,” Astral said softly. “I accept your choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark couldn’t stop himself, and knelt down, pulling Yuma into his arms, holding him with his clawed fingers, and Yuma would just keep smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You knew I would use Double-Up Chance, huh? I guess in the end I’m still an idiot, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...yes you are. You are still an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… but I think this will be alright,” Yuma smiled, as he started to glow. “Because I know you will make the right choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...what do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of the Numbers will be yours now,” Astral said softly, as the cards started to fly towards Shark from his body. “Shark, Nasch, whoever… it will be your choice to make what to do with the Numeron Code now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W---wait! Astral! Yuma!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was nothing more to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astral faded away - and Yuma dissolved into red light between his arms - Shark tried to desperately hug him, to hold onto him, but he was just grasping at thin air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he woke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew his dreams weren’t real. Yuma did not attack, and so Shark lost their duel there - they had even duelled multiple times since, on tournaments or just for fun - with varied results. Long gone the days when Yuma didn’t even really know what to do with the cards in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been other times since the Numbers War that they had to fight - even after their trip to the Astral World, things were never silent for long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just the life they had at this point, Shark figured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ryouga, you have something stupid on your mind, I can tell. Stop it, or tell me, because your constant sulking is getting annoying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not sulking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rio glared at Shark, before shaking her head, annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can practically hear your thoughts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you probably wouldn’t have to ask what am I thinking about would you? OW!” He felt Rio smack him in the head, and he reeled back. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not get all smart on me Ryouga,” Rio narrowed her eyes. “What is on your mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I don’t know!” Shark snapped back. “Maybe because some weird attacks are targeting us again. Maybe because something or someone is brainwashing people to target us again. Maybe because they are using cards we had never seen before, none of us have! Maybe because Yuma and Vector could only defeat them in a tag duel with forming a Chaos Zexal together, and--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They did </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...you heard me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaos Zexal? Is that even possible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently so,” Shark shook his head, not looking at Rio, but feeling her gaze drill into his skull. “Vector and Yuma both said so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh. So it’s probably true then. I get your main problem now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Neverthe--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are jealous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...what.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rio frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are jealous that Vector formed Chaos Zexal with Yuma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I be jealous of that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That Yuma did that with Vector, but not you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s dumb,” Shark shook his head. “Yuma formed Zexal with Astral all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Astral is Astral. Astral is not Vector.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, really? That’s news--- OW. Stop hitting me you maniac!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are being dumb, Ryouga,” Rio narrowed her eyes. “Maybe do something about it, if it bothers you that much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have no idea what are you talking about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh sure. It’s not like you had a crush on Yuma since middle schoo--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I never had---”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Rio interrupted him, putting a hand over Shark’s mouth. “If you are really that jealous, go and do something about it. And don’t be such a liar. Stupid. Still that immature that you want do deny your feelings? And trying to lie to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all people?” Rio scoffed. “Please, Ryouga. You need to get up earlier for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could he say to that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obviously he bit Rio’s hand as a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which obviously caused Rio to tackle him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who was being immature now?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But truth of the matter was, he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>stop thinking about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had seen Yuma and Astral form Zexal countless times - he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>fought </span>
  </em>
  <span>against Zexal. Zexal was… weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had seen all three forms of Zexal - they had all looked different in some way, although never </span>
  <em>
    <span>acted </span>
  </em>
  <span>too different. It was easy to tell when it was Yuma who was more in control, when it was Astral, and when it was them being in complete harmony and agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t have explained either, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t surprising - Astral was barely corporeal, it was very rare that he interacted with the real world - and usually with Yuma, or with cards, on the rare occasions when he duelled on his own. Merging a mostly invisible, semi-corporeal being with a corporeal human makes sense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vector… was something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> they were made of energy, the same way Astral was, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>knowing </span>
  </em>
  <span>was different from </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. It was hard to imagine that, seeing as he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>corporeal, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>interact with the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he asked Durbe about it once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the price we pay for being in the human world for longer,” Durbe said, with a sigh. “We can be corporeal, and interact with the world and others, but we are nowhere near our full power that we would have back in our realm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you think, could we form a Zexal with a human like Astral did with Yuma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Durbe looked surprised by the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...a Zexal? Why…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...because Yuma and Vector claim they did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...ah. I suppose… in a duel, under special circumstances… I don’t see why not,” Durbe frowned. “I don’t envy Yuma, though. It can’t be easy to share a mind with Vector, even temporarily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark couldn’t stop thinking about that either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t stop thinking about Vector and Yuma fusing and creating Chaos Zexal, at all. He wondered - how did it look like? Did it look bright and imposing like the other Zexal forms did? Did it look dark and twisted like that time at Sargasso when…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was Vector’s fault too, wasn’t it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark couldn’t imagine it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again Astral was a being from the Astral world - someone who just had minimal chaos to begin with, and Yuma was a part of him all along, which surely made it simpler for them to form Zexal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then Vector…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark tried his best to push these thoughts away, and not dwell on them too hard. This group, whoever they were, that attacked them, they were still around all of them, eyeing them up. As if figuring out their weak points.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which, obviously meant, that Vector kept staying around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As per usual.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vector was… a nuisance at the best of times and a vicious, murderous bastard the worst of times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now, with a new threat steadily approaching, he upgraded himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>constant annoying pest </span>
  </em>
  <span>levels. He was not any less vicious or annoying even on his best behaviour, but now, with danger approaching, even he was more guarded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark had no---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That would have been a lie to say that Shark had no idea how did Yuma get through to Vector - he had known the way Yuma did that extremely well, after all. He knew how to reach even the most unreachable people, and the fact that he got through to Vector of all people…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark sometimes caught himself wishing he wouldn’t have. That would have been one less headache to work with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He worked together with Vector for centuries. They were both gritting their teeth even without </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>having teeth by that point, but they did it. And he knew the things Vector could actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>- be it advantageous, or something that was destructive, Vector was stupidly smart, quick thinking, and better to have by your side than against you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problem was, that Vector was usually on Vector’s side, through all those centuries. He was primarily for his own self-preservation first and amusement second. Or maybe even the other way around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he helped Yuma out, and he wouldn’t have been there to help him, who knows what would have happened? Maybe Yuma would have lost that battle, unprepared and alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t like to think about this, he hated the idea of being grateful for Vector appearing when he did, he didn’t want to think of Vector that someone who provides </span>
  <em>
    <span>safety, </span>
  </em>
  <span>because </span>
  <em>
    <span>safety </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Vector </span>
  </em>
  <span>are two words that really felt like opposite to each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you stalking Yuma again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are also here. What does that make you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark frowned, kicking himself off from his bike.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t come to meet Yuma. I just had something to do around here, and happened to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh really?” Vector grinned. “What is that important thing you have to do around here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that is any of your business. What are you even doing here? Don’t you have anything else to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vector shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, not really. Besides you should be thankful~ Yuma will always have a backup if I’m here--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Shark snapped. “Yuma can take care of himself perfectly well. And there are others he is meeting regularly too. There is no need for you to stalk him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grin on Vector’s face widened, and Shark really felt like he never hated anyone else this much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Touchy touchy~ still jealous, I see? Can’t blame you! I can tell you allllll about it though if you want me to~”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark reached out, grabbing Vector’s shirt and yanked him closer, so he could glare at him from up close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I told you to shut up,” Shark hissed. “Don’t talk about things you have no idea about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>a very clear idea </span>
  </em>
  <span>about what I’m talking about though~, seeing as it happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>and not </span>
  <em>
    <span>you~</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say I’m jealous,” Shark’s grip tightened to the point that his knuckles whitened. “That proves you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea what are you talking about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh but you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>jealous,” Vector said in a deeper voice, almost like he was purring, as he grabbed Shark’s hand, and it was like his claws were appearing, digging into Shark’s skin, but he did not let go. “I had known you long enough and I had seen you around Yuma enough. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>wish </span>
  </em>
  <span>it would have been you there. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>wish</span>
  </em>
  <span> it would have been you he fused with, the one who got to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside </span>
  </em>
  <span>hi---”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark wasn’t thinking when he raised his other hand to punch Vector right in his smug, grinning face. He really wasn’t. He just wanted Vector to shut up, to make sure he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>actually right, to wipe that </span>
  <em>
    <span>smugness </span>
  </em>
  <span>off, but Vector was quick as well, grabbing Shark’s fist with his other hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See, Nasch?” There was a manic light in Vector’s eyes. “I think I know you well enough by now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark gritted his teeth, and pushed Vector away, before getting back on his bike and driving off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even through the sound of his engine, it felt like he still heard Vector’s laughter follow him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s that like, forming a Zexal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark did not plan on asking that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in Yuma’s bedroom, which was still in the attic, and just as messy as ever, even if some of the decoration had changed since the years that passed. They grew older, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Yuma was still excitable as ever, and very enthusiastic about having Shark over for a pizza and movie night. Or something along those lines. Yuma had said a lot of options and frankly speaking, Shark lost track a while ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were still waiting for the food downstairs to be ready, and Shark just blurted it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Yuma tilted his head a little. “What do you mean…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean like…” Shark shifted uncomfortably, but there was no way back now. “...how does it even work? I saw you and Astral do it multiple times but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The safe option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaaahhh….” Yuma nodded slowly. “You know it’s really just xyz summoning a monster. You take two of something to build something new with the overlay network. That’s how it works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And… how does it feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma was silent for a few moments, looking down a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...hard to describe. You are simultaneously </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> and also… </span>
  <em>
    <span>not you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Thoughts that are not yours are in your head, and for every movement you need to be on the same wavelength. But… you also </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Because you can’t form Zexal if you are at odds, then… you know what happens.” Yuma looked embarrassed. “You were at Sargasso.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sargasso.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...it was like that with Vector too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again. The question he did not want to ask, but it would have… he needed to know. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma raised his head, looking into the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… and no,” Yuma said, hesitantly. “Did you know he could dissolve himself back to the energy form? He did that. And it was like that, the two of us forming this new form. Felt different, though. Astral he… it was always more instinctive. With Vector it was like… there was electricity under my skin. Our skin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...was it painful? Did he hurt you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma shook his head as a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not painful. Weird, though. Hey, Shark, how do you guys talk without a mouth? That was weird. I let him take the lead because he was the one used to having bigger wings like we had together, I mean when our third Zexal had wings with Astral those were </span>
  <em>
    <span>different, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Vector also knew how to speak without a mouth, but I still don’t get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...is that your main question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is an important one!” Yuma huffed, and Shark couldn’t help a little smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma was sulking a bit, and Shark just reached out, brushing his ever-spiky hair out from Yuma’s face - a move that made Yuma look up, their eyes meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Shark, are you… Vector asked back then if you are jeal--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vector is an idiot,” Shark interrupted Yuma. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think he will. Not this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark wanted to yell at Yuma about trusting Vector - reminding him of Sargasso, everything before and after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But just like Sargasso changed everything, the final confrontations also changed everything and ever since then, Vector might have been annoying, a nuisance and generally the worst to be around, he…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I don’t think he will either. But I also don’t think it would hurt to be careful with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma nodded slowly, hesitantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like distrusting him, but… I guess I get that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you don’t like distrusting him,” Shark rolled his eyes. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>distrust him, idiot. That’s my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Distrusting people isn’t a job!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but distrusting </span>
  <em>
    <span>Vector </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a full-time one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma huffed again, before shuffling a little closer to Shark, uncomfortably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I’m sure it would work with you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean… you are also a Barian, and I had always…. trusted you completely. Way longer than I had known Vector, after all. So I’m sure if we would try, it would work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark had tried to not think about it, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been thinking about it for a while now. Ever since he heard it happened with Vector, he couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop</span>
  </em>
  <span> thinking about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What would it look like? Judging from Yuma’s rambling, probably they wouldn’t have a mouth either. Probably no wings, though - maybe they would have his cape? Would their skin be like his skin in his Barian form?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What would it be like, sharing a mind, sharing a body with Yuma? Being one person?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astral was away, and he would rather bite off his own tongue than to ask for Vector’s input about the matter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only way for him to find out was---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be an idiot. I said don’t worry about it, Yuma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma opened his mouth again, and Shark just leaned forward, cutting off his words with his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t feel like you have to do it. No matter what I think or how I… just don’t. I don’t want you to feel like you need to do it, just because you did it with someone else.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma kissed him back, pushing himself closer to Shark, clinging into him, not wanting to let go - and to be fair, Shark didn’t want to let him go either. He put his arms around Yuma, pulling him even closer, and kissing him felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>right, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it felt like nothing else existed in the world---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Yuma are y--- ah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An </span>
  <em>
    <span>annoyingly familiar </span>
  </em>
  <span>voice and a loud crash made them stop sooner than Shark wanted - but honestly, when he opened his eyes, and saw Vector, obviously having fallen to the ground from the window, and his eyes widened in a baffled expression?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vector!” Yuma untangled himself from Shark’s arms to be able to check on Vector. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vector pushed himself up into sitting position, obviously collecting himself, his eyes glaring daggers towards Shark, and maybe Shark shouldn’t have been that pleased with himself, but he couldn’t help but smirk a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, sure, don’t even pay attention to me,” Vector waved the concerns away. “More importantly - am I interrupting something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t know,” Shark said, amused. “Are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vector’s eyes narrowed, and Yuma looked from one to another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, what did I say last ti--” Yuma started, and Shark just raised his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not my fault he made himself look like an idiot just now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It looked like both Yuma and Vector were about to say something when--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yuma! Shark! Dinner is ready, you should come down to eat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah. Akari.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuma spun around and gestured excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food! C’mon, Shark! Vector, you should come too. We are having dinner and then come back up and watch some movies how about it? Okay, see you guys down there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, he was already down, loudly talking to his family about how they needed to get ready for one more person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark couldn’t help a small smile before standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That guy… didn’t even listen, huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course he didn’t,” Vector shrugged, before standing up as well, grinning. “More importantly, ooooh, Nasch, what’s going on~? I didn’t think you would ever do this, I’m not gonna lie--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Vector.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh, touchy, touchy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark put his hands to his pockets, walking slowly over to Vector. He really wanted to smirk, and rub it in his face, just like Vector did last time, with a mocking question, asking him if he was jealous, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quit it, Vector.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or else? No offense Nasch, but you never intimidated me and I don’t see that changing anytime soo-- EEK!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really wanted to shut Vector up - so Shark grabbed Vector's shirt again with one hand, and put his other hand to the back of Vector’s neck, keeping him in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were close to each other, and Vector’s eyes widened a bit from surprise again, and Shark could have swore he could have counted the freckles on his face from that close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that I have your attention,” Shark hissed, not letting Vector go. “You heard Yuma last time too. So shut the hell up. Everything I said last time still counts - if you hurt him, I make your life a living hell. Otherwise... “</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A grin crept up on Vector’s face, as he grabbed Shark’s shoulders firmly as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Otherwise~?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...regrettably, he seems to be happy if you are around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awww. And obviously that matters to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it does,” Shark snapped. “And it matters to you as well. It’s Yuma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That said did you really need to be this close to me to say it?” Vector ignored Shark’s point, because of course he did, in favor of being a nuisance again. “Careful, Nasch~”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shark rolled his eyes, before pushing Vector away from himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep dreaming, Vector.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just saying. I know you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>jealous of Chaos Zexal though~ No worries, Nasch, you know there are possibilities to have more than two overlay uni---”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way in hell I would ever let you into my head, idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whaaat? You probably think about me so much anyways that I already live there rent free~”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That explains my constant headaches.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Shark also went downstairs where Yuma and his family were waiting, and was aware of Vector following him snickering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently this was something he needed to get used to now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he figured he could probably do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And by the time he reached the dinner table, and saw Yuma’s bright expression, he knew it was going to be worth it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>